


Cherry Blossom in the Moon's Gaze

by Gelasia_Kidd



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Naruto
Genre: Family!Rookies, Magic!Fae!Sakua, Not very canon, Team as Family, fairy-tale-esque, fuinjutsu!naruto, whimsical cuteness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 07:59:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6946606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gelasia_Kidd/pseuds/Gelasia_Kidd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After outliving her family, Luna finds herself helping the child of prophecy in a different world, born into the world of shinobi as Haruno Sakura. The timeline shatters as the mystical touches the plausible to create a new breed of jutsu.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> At a fine age of 178 Luna Scamander, formerly known as Luna Lovegood, passes away in her sleep. She is most surprised when she finds herself being reborn in a most unexpected place.

 

Luna was ready to see her mother and father again, after many exciting years of research, exploration, and in her later more tired years, teaching Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts. She may not have seen all there was to see in this exciting magical world, but she felt she had gotten close, although with a great sadness she knew the muggles were cutting off more and more of the magical landscape.

With her Great Grandmother Alice, she shipped many of the dying species off to Wonderland, as was her goal as she realized much was disappearing. At 178 years, she felt she had succeeded. Through her job at Hogwarts she had access to many controlling interests in the magical beast world. Many extinct species were now credited directly to her exporting.

So it was satisfaction that she Saw her death that very evening, in her sleep, having lived longer than most her family. Both her sons had passed on before her, her daring inherited, her love for magical creatures, but not so much her caution and experience. Rolf had been older than her to begin with, and had been tired with the burdens of adulthood, and the losses of his children, so it was love that she carefully de-aged, obliviated his seven remembered years of childhood, and sent him off to Neverland. Peter would take care of him, and it was out of mercy she did it.

So she knew much about the world, and many things no one realized, her sons having not inherited her Fae genes and mentality, so was unable to see or understand the same mysteries as her. These were lost secrets now, her family gone, but better for it. When the muggle and magical world failed, which she Saw would happen decades after her death, the Fae would rebuilt, as they had done many times before.

When people say history repeats themselves, they had no idea how true it was. Everything was going to be okay, she Knew. Which is why upon her death she found herself surprised in quite the unusual way.

It was with slight pain that she took her first breath, covered in what she smelled was blood. Her vision was blurry, and she was being held by big hands. She cried out in dismay of the cold and pain, her confusion causing her to whimper. She squinted her blurry eyes at a new scent, one that was long forgotten by the woman. No, girl, she realized, as she shakily balled her miniature hands.

The words being spoke to her were garbled, and she barely recognized the accent was Asian. Luna had known that babies had underdeveloped brains, but only in a passing manner. Rebirth was not in her plans. It had never occurred to her that it could happen to her. She was ready for rest.

The voice spoke to her again, and Luna near cried at the maternal tone. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, to have a mother again.

((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~

It took almost a year for her brain to make the connection clear enough to understand what was going on around her. Being a baby all over again had been awkward, filled with fitful rest, being unable to control her body, and frustration. It was only by delving into her mind, her occulmancy still clear enough, and reading and watching her knowledge and memories, she felt needed to refresh to her mind many lost skills, that she could stave off total boredom.

It was lucky for her that she had taken many Language Lozenges in her traveling youth. She could already place she speech around her as a form of Japanese. It took some adjusting of her own skills to totally understand what was being said, as there were cultural differences between the languages.

Her brain could hear them now, but her tongue, mouth and brain were still misfiring often. But it seems understanding was enough, because now she Knew while she was there. There was a Prophecy, as she Saw the great toad creature speak of a child that would bring peace to the world. She Knew not who the child was, but also understood that Fate had ways of bringing things together that she could never strive to achieve. Fate would put her in a supporting role. Just as Fate had with Harry.

((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~

Haruno Hikari knew her daughter was special. The girl was a prodigy, and had been speaking clearly since the age of two. And now at the age of three the child was walking along side of her, hand in hand, to a trip to the market. Hikari knew her daughter saw things and spoke of things that didn't seem to exist. But genius is often eccentric, and at least her daughter had an imagination.

A tug at her hand pulled her attention to Sakura. "What is it, Sakura-chan?" she asked her little girl. Her wide mint eyes seemed worried.

"Mama, its bad to go this way," the girl replied, pointing at the alley. It was a little shaded by the position of the sun, Hikari noted, but seemed harmless.

"Why do you say that, Sakura-chan?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"The wrackspurts told me so," Sakura warned her mother. Her mother simply shook her head.

"Nonsense, this is the shortcut we always use," she scolded. "And you mustn't make things up in circumstances like that."

Sakura shook her head mournfully, and stuck warily to her mothers leg. It was her shriek of warning that saved her mothers life, as a mugger sprung out of a hidden place in the corner of the alley. The knife barely passed her neck, and her mothers shriek filled the alley.

Sakura watched in horror as the mugger reoriented himself and turned to kill. There was nothing she could do. It was in a state of shock that a woman dropped from the high roof of the neighboring building, and almost faster than the eye could see, disarmed and disabled the mugger. The mugger was tied with a strip of fine wire, and the woman turned to Sakura and Hikari.

Sakura examined the woman. She was holding a strange dagger, and seemed very fit, all lean muscle. Her mother bowed, hastily pushing her daughter to do the same.

"Thank you so much kunoichi-san, for saving our lifes," she said with a bow. Sakura's mind turned inward to file this term.

"Yes," Sakura added. "Thank you."

The woman gave a wry grin, as if unused to being appreciated. Sakura watched the woman who seemed to be shadowed by a faint image of a snake.

"Just be more careful," the woman side finally. "We may live in a ninja village but there are always idiots" this was punctuated with a kick at the mugger "like this that will attack anyone."

Sakura smiled at this strange woman. For all that she was haunted by her past, she was kind. She pulled away from her mother and reached a hand out to pat the woman's knee. "You are a good person, and someday they will see it," she said in a faint wispy voice, before turning to retreat to her mother.

The woman seemed unnerved, before shaking her head dismissively. "Anyhow, I gotta get this fool off for questioning," she finally said. The lady lay a hand on the thief and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~

It was a moments frustration trying to ask her reluctant parents before Sakura turned to the words of the unseen wrackspurts, the spirits of the dead and the land, to elaborate on what the woman was.

It was broken down into simple terms and built up to stronger. Luna had heard of the historical ninja while exploring Japan for the rare hot spring dwelling Usakoi, (no matter how the osen owners claimed they didn't exist!) but these ninja were kilometers away from the ninja she had ever heard about.

But it was a Call that she knew she had to follow. She Knew rushing would not put her in the place she needed to be.

((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~((~~

At 6 she was the smartest girl in the class. The work was easy, and the teachers praised her. The students however… she should have known better than to assume that children could ever be kind. Maki and her friends had her in the center of a hemisphere, pinned against the tree.

"Eehh its Sakuran!" Maki crowed, elbowing the girl next to her in glee. "High forehead, and crazy. Sakuran!" She smiled maliciously as Sakura watched her with a faint and distant smile.

"No one likes you Sakuran, you're icky and stupid and worse than a boy!" Maki claimed, shoving Sakura. But several of the girls behind Maki screeched and Maki turned in surprise, just in time to get a fist to the face.

"Leave her alone!" a high pitched voice cried. A flurry of action scared the girls off, all fists and biting. Blonde and blue eyes met Sakura after the bullies scattered.

"Are you okay?" the girl said, leaning over. Sakura's eyes lost their distance as she focused in on the girl. _'Kindness..'_

"Yes, thank you," Sakura said shyly. The girl stood straight and smiled widely.

"Great! My name is Ino, what's yours?" Ino chirped. Sakura tilted her head, her pretty green eyes seeming to gleam in the shade of the tree. "My name is Sakura, and it is a pleasure to meet you."


	2. Friendships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura's circle of friends grows.

The friendship between Ino and Sakura had only grown over time. Two years of civilian school passed before it was time to enter the Academy at age 8. But of those two years, they were well used. Sakura was always very open to Ino, and Ino, although she didn't always understand it, and thought it sometimes strange, was open to what Sakura had to say. Ino didn't know much about the mind arts yet. Her tou-san taught her a little about reading people though, and she knew Sakura was being honest. Sakura was soooo smart and often spent time tutoring Ino. In return, Ino shared her minor taijutsu abilities with her best friend. In fact they were in the middle of a spar right now!

Sakura knew Ino hadn't had much interest in practicing her ninja skills. She had grand dreams of being a lady and not a ninja. But Sakura Knew that Ino needed to be stronger, and without a challenge that wasn't going to happen.

Plus...Sakura knew no taijutsu, and that would cripple her future as a ninja. She realized right away that Ino's style wasn't going to fit her, but the physical conditioning of her muscles could only improve her.

The wrackspurts whispered at her, as she learned bits and pieces of ninja knowledge. Most wrackspurts could only maintain their connection with the living world for a few minutes at a time, but they always had something interesting to say.

'Dropkick...' a wrackspurt whispered from the side as Ino came in with her little fists swinging. The green blur with the peculiar vague smile seemed to be pleased as she took Ino down with a swoop. 'How youthful..' it trailed off as it began to fade. 'When you get a little older look for my student..his name is Maito..g..'

Sakura tilted her head as the wrackspurt faded away, before pulling a panting Ino to her feet.

"I'll beat you next time Sakura-chan!" Ino declared with a defiant smile.

"I believe we are both ready for th exam tomorrow," Sakura said in a pleasantly calm voice, her eyes drifting along following something. Ino turned, but as usual she couldn't see anything in the flowering bush.

Sakura smiled at Ino's quiet frustration. "When we have a better grasps of chakra control and your father teaches you your family jutsu, you'll be able to see them too."

Ino turned to Sakura, chewing on her bottom lip. "How come my tousan can't? He can do anything! " Doubt crept across her face.

"Your Otousan did not try when he was young, and now it is closed to it," Sakura replied. Ino watched her dubiously.

Sakura reached her hands out in a cup under a flower. "Ino-chan, put your hands atop mine."

With a trusting look in her eyes she reached slow, but stopped, startled, as she felt what seemed to be little wings brushed against her hands. She stood back and looked at Sakura's empty hands with awe as Sakura said goodbye to the little critter.

"What was THAT?" she exclaimed in a hushed voice. Instead of answering, Sakura responded with a comment.

"The energy put off by the massive chakra enhanced trees surrounded Konoha seems to attract all sorts of fae.." it was almost inaudible to Ino.

"Fae..." Ino mumbled. It hurt trying to think about it. Suddenly she jumped.

"Oh no! Tousan wanted me to come home early 'cause Shika and Chouji are visiting! " she hugged Sakura briefly.

"See you tomorrow Sakura-chan! " she called, as she dashed off. Sakura wandered back in the direction of her house. She had to pass the Academy, celebrating the recent graduating class. A morose ten year old swung on the swing.

As if by magic he got up to leave, slumped in depression, but as he looked up he met Sakura's eyes and suddenly she Saw so much.

Was this the child of the prophecy she had waited so long for? She Looked at him but there was something hazy. She smiled a kind and friendly smile at him.

"Hi! My name is Haruno Sakura! " she chirped, her eyes focused for once.

The surprise streaked across the boys face before he put on a shy smile, different than most people saw from him. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm gonna be Hokage dattebayo!"

Her eyes danced in delight. "I know." she said mysteriously. His eyes widened a fraction.

"Wanna go get ramen!?" Naruto exclaimed, jumping in place. Sakura creased her brow. "I can't, I told kaa-san I'd be home soon." She could almost hear his heart shatter.

"But meet me here tomorrow at lunch! Academy entrance exams will be over by then and I will come celebrate with you!"

A huge smile crept across his face. "Really!?" he cried. She nodded. "YATTE! We'll be in the same class! "

She was shorter than him, but he was so cute she stood on her tiptoes and ruffled his hair. He flinched, expecting a strike, but the positive contact near brought him to tears. A watery happy smile drifted across his face but they soon parted.

This exchange wasn't entirely unnoticed. An Anbu with a weasel mask didn't know whether to smile or not, until he had a full background check of the child that was going to be both in his charge's class and his little brothers class.

Far away the Great Toad Sage looked into the distance. "The future is changing..." he muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story stretched on over one topic far more than I thought it would timeline wise and didn't do anything I expected it to. I hope you like it despite that.


	3. Difficulties, and a touch of heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everything goes your way, even when you are trying your hardest. But with a touch of magic, maybe happiness is possible?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this before Sakura's parents were fully fleshed out as characters. The names and background are wrong. Regardless, I like this story anyhow.

Ch 3: Difficulties

 

"Kaasan, I'm gonna be late today," Sakura offhandedly mentioned with a wispy voice, her glazed gaze appearing just over her mother Hikaru's shoulder at the dawn coming in the window.

 

Hikaru turned from the dishes she was washing up from breakfast with a raised brow. "And why is that, Sakura-chan? "

 

A whimsical smile drifted over her expression. "I'm meeting a friend for ramen after lunch."

Hikaru's lip quirked. "By any chance is this a boy?" Sakura tilted her head slightly, as if silently judging.

 

"Yes kaasan. He has smiles like sunshine. I think he will be a treasured friend," Sakura replied in a dreamers voice. After a few minutes of silence, Hikari realized she wasn't going to be getting anything else without further questioning.

 

"And what is his name Sakura," she demanded impatiently. Sakura gave her mother a long look, a ponderous expression in her eyes.

 

"Uzumaki Naruto,"she finally replied. Hikari screeched in horror.

 

"No daughter of mine will be associating with that demon boy, he's nothing but trouble! " Hikari cried out, her deceptively mild nature broken by her voice.

 

Sakura's eyes narrowed in a bitter judgement. "Alright," she said. Hikari sighed in relief as Sakura left the kitchen, and she busied herself with the dishes.

 

Sakura slipped upstairs perplexed. She wished her visions were more consistant, because this was unexpected. She rolled out a large scroll, drawing runes in a circle. She had heard of seals, obviously, and knew things would be able to be stored in it.

 

She was thankful she was a genius with runes, she thought musingly. This was fairly simple compared to most things. She didn't need much anyhow, as wandless transfiguration was not impossible.

 

A few easily cleaned outfits, and her ninja gear. The hobs in the forest of death would let her stay with them. And her wall mirror, twice the size of her head. The runes flared as she hid them inside, and with a small safety pin and the ink for school today had her sealing the scroll in a rune on her arm. Double layered protection.

 

A guided episky healed the scratch but left the ink. She slipped her school things into her backpack and slipped out the door without a word towards her mother’s farewell.

 

It was painful, she mused, losing mother again. She didn't Know what she should be doing but her mother was right. No daughter of hers could be a friend of Uzumaki Naruto.

 

Her memories flicked to another child of prophecy, all too skinny with scars across his back and haunted green eyes that masked the other scars across his heart. The damage of casual cruelty..

She realized her position, and she stared at the academy, her eyes unusually sharp. The first step of many. She rushed up to Ino-chan and the other students loitering in the small yard, waiting to be let in.

 

"Ino-chan!" she embraced her friend, closing her eyes as a pang hit her heart.

 

Ino pulled back from her friend with a beaming smile as she took in the glassy eyes of her friend.

"Are you okay Sakura-chan? " she asked worriedly. Sakura's eyes closed for a long moment before opening clear, her normal hazy look on her face. "It's nothing Ino-chan, the nargles are cluttering my head again. "

 

Ino furrowed her brow. Sakura was obviously hiding something but she knew better than to pry. She turned to the two boys, one watching with narrowed eyes and the others munching on chips.

 

"These two bakas are my friends, the grumpy one is Shikamaru and the fat one is Chouji!" she said, pointing. Shikamaru frowned thoughtfully but Chouji reddened angrily.

 

Sakura stepped forward, glancing behind at Ino. "Be nice," she said softly with a frown.

 

Ino didn't catch the words but she read the expression, looking away and feeling a little ashamed.

She Felt them. First she turned to Chouji. "Hello," she smiled shyly. "You shouldn't take Ino's words as an insult," she started, before flinging herself for a hug. "Because really that just means you give the best hugs." She stepped back for a moment and patted his swirled cheek, reddened for a different reason now. "Don't doubt yourself," she said firmly.

 

"Right Ino-chan?" Sakura said, looking over her shoulder. Ino gave a short nod. "R-right." she stuttered, looking away with her own blush. She had never thought about it before but it was true...the whole Akimichi family gave the best hugs. She decided then she was going to hug Chouji more.

 

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, slouching. Sakura twirled in place before flashing a brilliant smile at Shikamaru, who straightened in surprise as she seemed to bounce in delight at seeing him. The unexpected question threw him off.

 

"Does your shadow ever try to run away? " she chirped. Stunned silence. "Mine does all the time! So I have to catch up with it and sew it back on." She pouted at her shadow which independently turned to Shikamaru's shadow and waved...which waved back, startling him.

 

At this point it was time to enter the exam room, leaving two startled boys to trail behind an eye rolling Ino who just knew Sakura couldn't be normal in anything.

 

The written was easy, the physical side was a challenge, and by the time they let out, about half passing, Sakura was ready for ramen with Naruto.

 

She got out slightly earlier because her mother and father had work, while Ino and her new friends had to wait for their mothers to pick them up.

 

She ran up to Naruto, flushed with excertion. She was a ravenclaw, but her Gryffindor tendancies were coming out now.

 

"Here I am! " she cried, before leaning over and panting. Naruto watched with wide eyes.

 

"Heyhey are you okay Sakura-chan?! " at the worry in Naruto's eyes Sakura stood up completely, her eyes twinkling in mirth.

 

"Uh huh! I just gotta work on my stamina," she chirped. "So we gonna get ramen? " Her breath calmed down.

 

"Yea!" Naruto leapt in glee. "Ichiraku's is the best dattebayo! " With a fragile smile he reached his shaking hand towards Sakura. Sakura's eyes softened and she took his hand in hers, his grip firming in new security as his smile firmed into something solid and pure and he dragged her off to his favorite place to eat.

 

He tried to ignore the glares and mutterings with difficulty, his smile fading.  _ She won't want to be my friend anymore, _ he worried. But her hand in his was a comfort. Slowing to a walk he met her eyes, then looked at a glaring person behind her then her again. She turned, meeting the womans eyes. Her gazed flashed and she turned back to Naruto with a comforting smile and tugged him into a hug.

 

Weasel had informed Inu of this girl but the blatant defiance was a surprise to Inu. As they wandered off leisurely, he watched as the adorable eight year old stuck her tongue out at the shopkeeper that scorned Naruto so cruelly.

 

_ 'Interesting,'  _ he thought. Their ramen trip was short and sweet before they parted ways.

As Cat slipped in for her shift, Inu slipped to follow the pink headed girl.

 

Sakura Knew she was being followed so she silently cast a disillusionment spell on herself and slipped into an alley. She watched quietly as a masked Anbu looked around briefly.

 

Inu sniffed. He was a tracker, and was utterly perplexed by the trail suddenly ending. Well the name was easy enough to remember, the Haruno family was the only family with pink hair, even though it skipped generations. He left to mention it to the Sandaime.

 

With a sigh of relief she slipped off to the forest of death. It didn't have the aura of dark magic the forbidden forest did, only a deep earthy magic. Chakra and magic oozed from the forest and it comforted her.

 

She couldn't levitate herself... but sitting on a scrap of wood she masterfully levitated her seat comfortably over the fence. The trees welcomed her, reaching out with its magic. Nothing would harm her here, she knew, just as the fae were protected as wildlings, so a girl only half in the world of mortals would be protected. She strode into the woods unfearing.

 

Shikaku, Chouza and Inoichi often brought their families together at the slightest reason to celebrate. The wives were gossiping, Chouza and Inoichi were slightly drunk, and being troublesome. So Shikaku stood from the Nara dinner table to go to where the children were, sitting around on the patio whispering. Shikamaru would normally be in bed with no desire to stay up, but he seemed on edge tonight.

 

It was troublesome, but he did have fatherly duties. He stopped at the other side of the paper door, hearing mutterings.

 

"Ino, it’s not natural for shadows to do that sort of stuff," Shikamaru hissed. Shikaku raised an eyebrow. For a Nara to find something a shadow did unusual..

 

"I dunno Shika," Chouji rumbled shyly. "Sakura-chan seemed really nice." His other eyebrow rose.

 

"See, baka, Chouji agreed," Ino snapped. Shikamaru sighed.

 

"That's cuz she hugged him Ino," he muttered. "Troublesome." Ino scoffed.

 

"You'll have to get used to it, Sakura-chan knows and does all sorts of weird stuff and she's never wrong," Ino replied, in a seemingly calm voice.

 

Shikaku pursed his lips before turning back to the dining room. He plopped down across from Chouza and Inoichi.

 

"What do you know about Ino-chan's friend, Sakura," Shikaku asked with a lethargic sigh and slouch. Inoichi immediately took note of the hardened eyes, however and sat up straight, sobering. This was serious.

 

"Well..." Inoichi pondered. "She's very smart, and seems to talk to her imaginary friends a lot. She is adequate in taijutsu and very mature if not spacy. Ino-chan values her very much."

 

"And she never... knows too much? " Shikaku questioned firmly. Inochi went to shake his head, but stopped.

 

"Well every once in awhile she looks off into space like she's listening to someone, before saying something insightful, or that a civilian normally wouldn't grow up hearing," Inoichi admitted. A silence fell over the three. "I think that we need to talk to the children," Chouza said finally. "I'll go get them."

 

He stood carefully and was shortly followed in by two curious children and one perceptively quiet child. They all sat down.

 

"You want to know about Sakura, don't you?" Shikamaru said, speaking of the white elephant in the room. "Why don't you start, Shikamaru-kun," Chouza said with a merry smile.

 

Inoichi waved down Ino's frantic attempt to interrupt.

 

"Well.. she seems honestly kind and caring," Shikamaru admitted. "But then she told me a strange story about her shadow trying to escape, and her shadow waved at mine...and mine waved back! " He ended in an exclamation.

 

Concerned brows furrowed across the three sitting there. "Oh, Sakura-chan does stuff like that all the time," Ino claimed. "Its no big deal."

 

The three men exchanged a glance. "Does someone tell her things she shouldn't know? " Inoichi prodded gently.

 

"Oh, the wrackspurts tell her things all the time! " Ino nodded with an innocent smile. Another glance exchanged.

 

"Wrackspurts? " Shikaku mumbled over the unfamiliar term.

 

"Ano.." Ino tilted her head with her eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Ghosts? "

 

A slight widening of the eyes is all they expressed. Shikamaru watched his father. "Is it a kekkai genkai?" Shikamaru muttered. "Troublesome."

 

The fathers quickly decided to break it up for the night. Tomorrow they would go to the Hokage, but tonight it was time for the children.

 

Haruno Hikari worried, as her daughter had not come home. She went to hokage tower and reported her missing. Her father was on the council and so the chunin at the police force desk brought her to the Hokage.

 

Haruno Hikari bowed to the powerful figure of the Hokage. "Please, Hokage-sama, find my daughter." Inu lingered on the wall where he invisibly watched the Haruno woman plead her case. 'So, the girl with Naruto that evaded me really did disappear,' he thought with a narrowed gaze.

 

He signed to the Hokage his desire to tackle the subject. Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded almost invisibly.

With a grandfatherly smile he beckoned the woman to raise from her bow.

 

"What was the last interaction with your daughter, Haruno-san," Sarutobi said kindly.

 

Hikari fell into recollection, before her eyes closed in shame and realization.

 

"She told me she had befriended Uzumaki Naruto," she started quietly. "And she had that look on her face I've only ever seen when judging the bullies in the playard. I told her no daughter of mine could be friends with that Uzumaki boy and she agreed with the statement...her ninja gear and a few pieces of clothing were gone in her room." She collapsed weeping. "My daughter disowned me over that demon!" Hikari wailed.

 

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes feeling very unsympathetic. Inu signalled that he was

leaving and at Sarutobi's nod the room was empty except for the Hokage and the Haruno woman. His ANBU guard would shortly join them, with Inu having left, but he was unthreatened by the woman.

 

"You will not call Naruto a demon," the Hokage said with a calm and dangerous presence. "There is a law and you are close to breaking it." The woman raised her eyes in shock.

 

"B-but my daughter! " she stuttered.

 

"We will find her, and we shall decide what to do from there," the man, truly the Professor in nature as well as ability, said to her. As ANBU slipped into the room he gestured to Bird. "Take this woman home and watch her house for activity." He turned to Lizard . "Gather some on duty chunin to check around." Before the Haruno woman left he asked her a final question. "Does your daughter have any friends she could be staying with? "

 

"Yamanaka Ino," Hikari muttered, before being escorted out the door. "Bear," Sarutobi started. 

"Go without your mask. Inoichi trusts you."

 

Ibiki nodded, removing his mask, before using a shunshin to travel home

 

Meanwhile, one Mitarashi Anko felt like something was off about her favorite training ground. It didn't seem quite as angry today, and that disappointed her, because she was itching for a fight.

 

Her curiosity overwhelmed her as she quietly sent her limited sensor abilities out. All the animals in the forest had chakra signals, so if she went to the nearest "clot" at least she would get a fight.

As she sped to the nearest big gathering she slowed at the sound of a child’s laughter and a bright area in a clearing.

 

She slowed as she approached, and watched disbelievingly from a high branch. A pale, but ethereal child with gentle pink hair and slightly glowing green eyes danced around a circle in the clearing that was spotted with tiny glowing mushrooms. She was wearing nothing but her long hair that trailed down to her waist as it flared behind her.

 

Little balls of light fluttered around her and she played with them in simple joy. As Anko's eyes broke from the scene, she took on the rest. The girl had transformed the trunk of a tree into a home, elegantly molded yet without ever breaking the bark. The trunks of trees in here were the size of small houses, and it glowed warmly with a blue fire resting in shallow hollows in the wall without burning the wood. A tea set was placed just outside with a table built into the tree along with two benches illuminated by another small flame.

 

Surrounding the clearing were tigers watching the scene sleepily with the girl who enjoyed their companionship without fear. A a snake crawled over the branch next to Anko, startling her to the side, who watched as it came casually down to the girl, who broke away from the circle.

 

"Oh, hello Hebi-san," she said happily. The snake met her eyes and a wordless communication seemed to pass through them. "Ah!" she chirped, turning her face to where Anko was hunched. 

 

"Did you come for tea? "

 

Anko was bewildered and her hand twitched at her thigh where her kunai pouch lay as she slowly slipped down the tree, approaching with wild eyes flashing at the girl and her companions.

 

"What are you doing in here? " Anko snapped, her interrogative nature slipping through. But her eyes narrowed in recognition as the child watched her with a whimsical smile.

 

"You were the one from that mugging? " Anko said wonderingly, her body relaxing as the kind words slipped through her mind. "But why are you here?" she questioned, eyeing the wild snake the girl was absently petting.

 

"I've decided to live here, away from the judgemental," the girl said in a tired voice. A tiger cub came up to her and rubbed against her, trying to comfort her. The girl smiled sadly. "My name is Sakura, and I believe this is your home too, so you are welcome to stay."

 

"I'm the beautiful sexy Mitarashi Anko-sama!...Or so I usually say," she finished sheepishly. "But you can just call me Anko."

 

Sakura smiled and slowly reached out to the woman, taking her hand and leading her away from the fairy circle and to the tea set resting on the table. Anko eyed the tea skeptically. This whole arrangement was more than surreal. It was hard to keep her guard up with the feelings this girl emitted.

 

As she sat down, she eyed the tea, worry for poison in her head. She was immune to most.. Sakura watched as Anko swished a mouthful around in her mouth before swallowing. A mix of mint and chamomile, not an intimidating mixture but slightly relaxant and difficult but not impossible to find in this forest.

 

"So what's with the chamomile? " Anko chirped, eyeing the girl as she looked away and her shoulders tensed.

 

"I need it to sleep tonight... I've had a trying day," Sakura quickly changed the subject. "The wrackspurts tell me you like dango?" the girl questioned with a shy but hazy gaze. watching beneath her lashes.

 

"Hell yeah! " Anko cried. "The Goddess of Dango blesses me with its heavenly mana! " Anko realized the misdirect was deliberate, and was happy to get a giggle out of her. This girl had stopped her on a day her death was looking ever like a better decision and promised her a better future so firmly that Anko herself believed it, and she wasn't about to repay that kindness by turning on her and prying out details.

 

Sakura smiled, and took a few berries on a stem out of the bowl in front of her. Her hand trailed over the stem and with a glow the berries turned into a stick of dango. Anko's eyes bulged.

 

"Y-you can... create dango!?" she cried, grabbing the stick and examining it. She ate one off and the rich taste of perfect dango melted in her mouth. Her eyes flashed back to Sakura. "How!?"

 

Sakura Knew that Anko could be trusted. "Its called transfiguration, Anko-san," she started. "I can change things, but those dango will still have the nutritional aspects of the berries."

 

"Where did you learn to do that?! " Anko eyed the surroundings in shock, realizing the source of many of them.

 

Sakura eyed Anko bashfully. "I've been able to do it since I was born, Anko-san." Anko waved her hand as she ate another dango.

 

"Anyone who can create dango has no need to use formalities with me!" she exclaimed. "If anything I should be calling you Sakura-sama! "

 

Sakura giggled, before breaking into a yawn. "I need to sleep," she admitted to Anko. "I have my first academy day tomorrow." Anko eyed the girl. "Getting out here, with no ninja training? That was risky! "

 

"The forest knows I belong," the girl mumbled sleepily. Anko just shook her head.

 

"If you say so, gaki! But I'm guarding you tonight! " Anko demanded. The girl only nodded before slipping into the tree house and pulling on a big t-shirt. "Kay Anko," Sakura replied.

 

Anko finished her dango and slid into the treehouse after her. It was much larger on the inside than the outside, which threw her off. But it had no furniture but a large bed of moss in the center. It was obviously very new.

 

Sakura smiled sweetly at Anko as she curled up on her moss. "You can sleep if you want," Sakura said. "No one that means harm can find this place." Anko eyed the walls, noticing the bark was shaped as many symbols she didn't understand.

 

"Regardless, gaki, I'm going to watch," she snapped, nervous. This was beyond her understanding and way out of her comfort zone. Sakura nodded before dozing off.

 

'Not even in academy yet,' Anko thought wryly. 'Some sort of kekkai genkai? '

 

The night passed uneventfully, and Anko, against her will, dozed off. A touch on the shoulder had her flying away drawing a kunai. Two puzzled jade eyes watched her. "Oh," Anko slumped in relief. "It’s just you."

 

Sakura smiled, brushing a hand down her simple ninja outfit, a form fitting shirt and pants, both in black, with bandages holding down the sleeves and pant cuffs. The ninja sandals were brand new, as was the kunai pouch with shuriken and kunai.

 

"Nice, gaki! You are looking pretty damn professional for your first day! " Sakura picked up her backpack and smiled at Anko. "Thank you Anko, I will see you later." And in a crack she apparated to an alley close to the academy.

 

She was surprised, however, to be immediately confronted by Inu, Bear, Shikaku, Inoichi, followed by a lumbering Chouza, the latter three who have just dropped their children off at school.

Inoichi ran up and hugged the surprised Sakura. "Sakura-chan, Ino and I were so worried about you! " Sakura teared up in happiness and regret.

 

"I'm sorry Inoichi-ouji, I had to leave," Sakura muttered. She pulled back and eyed the suspicious glances of the others. "What do I do now? " She was worried.

 

"Maa, maa," Inu commented. "Don't worry Sakura, the Hokage just wants to make sure you are okay, you had everyone worried."

 

Sakura watched Inu and Felt him. 'Loyalty, kindness,' she Understood. She skipped forward and took his hand which twitched in surprise and she beamed up at him. "Let’s go talk to him then."

 

Inoichi smiled wryly. Sakura was always like this, unexpectedly kind. For all her oddities, she was part of his family, and she had been for years. He trusted her. He lay one hand on Bear and the other on Shikaku in reassurance. Chouza was naturally laid back and relaxed.

 

"Inu-san?" Sakura asked. Inu looked down at her. "Yes?"

 

"Can we do that teleporty thing? " Sakura asked, giving puppy eyes. "Aa..can't you already do shunshin? " Inu questioned warily.

 

"No," she started, shaking her head. "I can only use apparition to places I've already been, and only those places without security seals."

  
"Aaa...well sure," Inu said, giving in. In a flash all that was left was smoke and leaves. The others looked at each other before similarly disappearing.

**Author's Note:**

> Sakuran means confusion, and I felt that would be a adequate rude nickname for Sakura.


End file.
